This year, Bryce Harper, Steve Lombardozzi, Tyler Moore, Christian Garcia, Eury Perez, Corey Brown and Sandy Leon walked into the clubhouse following yesterday's loss to the Marlins and found their regular clothes replaced by red leotards, doctored up to look likeRead more »

After facing Ricky Nolasco that must have seemed quite easy. I don't get that kind of stuff, but it seems to be something that all teams do. Maybe at this time of year a good laugh and a momentary disctraction are good things.The Rays do crazy dress up things a lot as a team.

Doc-Nice work comparing them to the ugly dancers of a very (very!) obscure country. It's very unlikely to insult anybody, but if somebody said that's what I looked like, I would still feel kinda self-conscious somehow.+1/2St.

I know tastes differ (and I'm one hundred percent fine with that), but I have to say I prefer the lovely Uzbeki ballerina over Bryce Harper in spandex.But to each his own. http://tinyurl.com/Uzbeki-Ballerina

If memory serves me correctly they made Ryan Church do it two years in a row as well and I want to say he wasn't none too happy about it where it appears from the pictures Lombo and Brown sort of just rolled with it. My how things have changed since those old days.

I imagine the humiliation would have been much harder to take when the team was not an on upswing. Did the Nats engage in this stuff during the two 100 loss seasons? Did Zim have to do something similar in 2005 during that late season collapse.

Are you worried about the leotards constricting blood flow or chafing? Or razor burn from the manscaping?Distraction. LIke golfing with Mark Lerner and Davey. Young team needs to focus not get scattered in all directions.

I like it. It's a long season and I think it might be timed well to loosen the guys up after one of their worst of the year. Sure it was planned for a long time and if you are the kind of player who couldn't let this roll off your back then I doubt you are a good teammate.

Last year when they did this, they had to make up for a couple of years (which is why Storen had to do it last year). Appparantly, no Vets were in the clubhouse that would continue this tradition. It happens in all clubhouses. Gio had to dress up as a swiss miss. Peric.. This took 20 minutes after a game, not an early tee time or a late night at some charity function. This is not scattering them in all directions. no impact.

Section 222 said… I imagine the humiliation would have been much harder to take when the team was not an on upswing. Did the Nats engage in this stuff during the two 100 loss seasons?Yes. Chico Harlan reported about it between wine tastings, although I'm too lazy to look up the specific NJ entries now.Did Zim have to do something similar in 2005 during that late season collapse.Probably. Rookie hazing is an MLB-wide rite of September. It's probably mentioned in Svrluga's book, but I'm at work and my copy's at home.

MicheleS has clarified that it wasn't done during Storen and Stras's rookie year (2010). I wonder about 2008-2009.The first I remember reading about it was in 2007, 2008 or 2009. Can't remember which year, but like this year it was done on a train trip to or from NYC. I do remember seeing Detwiler carrying the pink Hello Kitty backpack out to the bullpen before the September games I was at in RFK in 2007, so that team was at least doing some rookie hazing. Perhaps the 2008/2009 teams were so incompetent they couldn't even get rookie hazing right. Who knows?

It is a must game if the Braves win. But, if the Braves lose, is the game still a must? That is the question. But, we still have lots of "must win" games that we can lose and still win the Division. So, all is still well and we will be victorious, as we must.

I'm way behind in reading posts and comments but did see the gymnast pics. My first thought was: Oh, my stars and garters. My second thought was: I suppose they asked whether they were allowed to wear cups? :-)And, as others have noted, many teams do late season rookie hazings like this, often on a road trip, I believe. I think our guys usually do it on a late season NY trip, because it means parading through a couple of big city train stations all decked out. If memory serves, Ryan Church wore a very fetching French maid outfit, with mesh stockings.